KUALA LUMPUR — The government has defended the integrity of the national football team’s player selection process, insisting that the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) procedures are transparent and fully compliant with international regulations despite recent scrutiny over the eligibility of seven naturalised and heritage players.
Youth and Sports Minister Dr Taufiq Johari said that his ministry continues to work closely with FAM to strengthen governance and ensure the national governing body operates in line with the principles of transparency, integrity, and the regulations set by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
In a written parliamentary reply to Sabak Bernam MP Kalam Salan, who sought clarification on the government’s response to questions surrounding the eligibility of the seven players and FAM’s compliance with FIFA rules, Taufiq stressed that player selection falls exclusively under FAM’s jurisdiction.
“Among the measures taken by the government are continuous discussions and engagement sessions between KBS and FAM to ensure that the governance of Malaysian football is carried out in accordance with the principles of good governance, integrity and compliance with FIFA and AFC regulations,” he said.
Taufiq said FAM had further strengthened its governance framework following recommendations from the AFC through an Extraordinary Congress held on June 4, attended by its 18 affiliated members.
He said the congress approved amendments to the FAM statutes, including the restructuring of the association’s leadership, stricter eligibility requirements for key office bearers, improvements to its membership system, and broader governance reforms aimed at enhancing integrity, transparency and professionalism.
“The selection of players to represent the national team falls under the jurisdiction and responsibility of FAM as the governing body for football in the country.
“Accordingly, KBS is not involved in the player selection process. However, the ministry continues to support efforts to strengthen sports governance and ensure that every sports body operates in accordance with the regulations and standards set by the relevant international sports governing bodies,” he said.
Taufiq also detailed FAM’s player selection process, saying players are continuously monitored through domestic competitions, including the Super League, Malaysia Cup, FA Cup, A1 Semi-Pro League and other relevant tournaments.
He added that Malaysian players based overseas are also closely tracked, with coaches evaluating performance metrics such as playing time, goals, assists and other position-specific indicators.
According to the minister, selectors also take into account players’ fitness levels, injury records, availability for national training camps, and suitability to the head coach’s tactical approach and positional requirements.
He said the shortlist is then reviewed by the head coach and coaching staff before selected players are called up to a centralised training camp, where final assessments are conducted before the national squad is confirmed. – July 1, 2026